Even though it was impossible.
Never mind the fact that they barely knew each other—if they were truly talking about age, he was likely old enough to be much more than just an older brother to her.
The members of Black Flame all had significant backgrounds; their true ages were probably nothing like what they appeared to be.
The surrounding pedestrians gradually thinned out. They crossed a street and entered a quiet tavern with little business, exiting through a small door in the back kitchen.
The kitchen staff acted as if the two were invisible.
The back door led to a rugged, narrow alley with a jagged stone path. Dark green moss filled the crevices of the pavement, and an occasional stubborn weed swayed in the corners of the walls.
It must have rained not long ago, as the flagstones were still slick. Su Cheng lost her footing and nearly took a tumble.
Kai, walking beside her, was quick to react and caught her.
He gripped her arm, his thick palm pressing against her elbow. With just one hand, he completely encircled her arm, steadily supporting her entire weight.
"...Thank you," Su Cheng said hurriedly. "Sigh, I really do lack exercise."
Kai let her go. "Everything has a beginning. Since you’ve decided to go out on an adventure, everything is bound to change."
Su Cheng tilted her head to look at him.
She knew he was a very understanding guy who didn't pry, which was why he hadn't mentioned the incident in the Guild Hall until now.
They passed through several winding alleys lined with low stone houses, their greyish-blue outer walls mottled and weathered.
After two more turns, a downward staircase appeared ahead.
Kai took the lead down the uneven stone steps, then stopped and turned back, reaching out his hand.
Su Cheng tested the footing and found that the steps were indeed very slippery.
She silently took the Guild Leader's hand.
The difference in their physiques was vast; rather than holding hands, it felt more like her hand was being swallowed by his palm.
He was wearing gloves made of some kind of animal hide, and the texture of the leather brushed against her delicate skin. In that brief friction, Su Cheng could feel the tight tension of the leather and the powerful strength contained within the bones and muscles of his hand.
She hopped down the steps and, as expected, her foot slipped. Fortunately, she remained upright thanks to his support.
Su Cheng pursed her lips. "...Does every mage who goes to the Underground Market have the agility of a warrior?"
"No," Kai said casually. "When you see mages with bruised faces in those shops, there's a fifty percent chance they fell right here."
Su Cheng couldn't help but chuckle. "What about the other fifty percent?"
"They probably fell somewhere else," he said gloomily. "This isn't the only entrance, just the one closest to us."
Su Cheng laughed out loud. "Are you joking or are you being serious?"
Kai remained noncommittal. "At least I've seen it with my own eyes."
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Su Cheng smelled a strange scent—a pungent mixture of various potions and the musty odor of ancient books.
Several hurried passersby brushed past them, all wrapped in cloaks or wearing hoods as they quickly ascended the stairs.
Sure enough, one of them tripped on the steps.
But luckily, since he was going up, he simply used the stairs to push himself back up and walked away without a word.
Su Cheng: "..."
Suddenly, she felt a bit comforted.
Exiting the arched gallery of the staircase, they turned into a dim alleyway.
Stalls lined both sides, selling all sorts of things.
Various glass and crystal bottles held strange insects and stones, or liquids suspended in empty jars, as well as bones carved with complex runes—bones whose origins were impossible to discern at a glance. There were also items that looked like magic scrolls, covered in a wide variety of scripts.
Su Cheng couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
A major city like Amber City was under the strict surveillance of the Holy Church and the Mages Guild; it was difficult to find many high-level contraband items in the city proper. Even in the black market of the Underground Street, most items were just unverified magic materials of unknown origin.
She followed the Guild Leader as they twisted and turned, eventually entering a dead end.
It was very quiet here with no stalls. At the end of the path stood a dilapidated stone house.
A crooked bronze sign hung over the lintel, its edges carved with fragmented runes that flickered with a dim blue light.
They pushed the door open and entered. The first-floor hall was dimly lit. Rust-stained pipes crawled across the ceiling, entwined with chains and dark green, beard-like plants. Over a dozen chandeliers were suspended from the chains, but only two were lit, illuminating the wooden counters below which were cluttered with various jars and pots. The cabinets were covered in cracks, looking as though they might collapse at any moment.
The air was thick with the scent of sulfur, herbs, and metal. The owner was sitting behind the counter; she poked her head out now, squinting to size up the two newcomers.
Kai walked over. "Bloodlust Vine core from a mature plant, solvent refined from Red-Tailed Scorpion oil, high-grade Froststone powder..."
He rattled off over a dozen material names in one breath.
The shopkeeper had an excellent memory and didn't bother writing anything down. Once he finished, she quoted prices for each item in the order he had listed them.
She mentioned that one of the gels was out of stock because the raw materials had been seized by the Church.
Kai: "...I only need a little. You have no stock at all?"
The shopkeeper gave a cold laugh. "Even the big workshops can't get their hands on it, let alone small merchants like us. They’re supplying the mages in the Kingdom's Garrison."
She twisted her mouth. "Besides, the Lords of the Church are just doing routine inspections. If we dared to go against them, wouldn't we be branded heretics?"
During their conversation, Su Cheng continued to scan the shop.
On one wall of the hall, there were several honeycomb-like stone niches. Each niche contained a miniature magic circle, with a fist-sized orb of light floating at its center.
If one looked closely, they would realize it wasn't ordinary light, but a condensed cluster of elemental spirits.
She stared blankly at the spirits.
The light orbs were over ten centimeters in diameter, and the density of the elemental spirits was immense, pressed tightly together by the power of the magic circles.
Logically speaking, such a large number of elemental spirits gathered in one place should be easily detectable.
Yet, she could barely sense their existence, and even then, she could only faintly feel the wind spirits.
Moreover, because they were bound within the magic circles, she was completely unable to manipulate them to cast spells.
This wasn't surprising.
Her affinity with the wind element was "High," but above that was "Special." As a "cannon fodder" side character, she wasn't destined for the best stats.
Regardless, for an elemental mage, this sensation was quite uncomfortable.
Su Cheng couldn't resist releasing her mental strength to carefully sense the fire spirits.
On that tiny magic circle, crimson runes flowed with a lava-like red glow, and the violent fire elements surged constantly, angrily trying to break through the restriction.
None of this was "felt" by her; it was seen with her eyes.
The moment she closed her eyes, it was as if they didn't exist.
Su Cheng couldn't help but miss last night. After tasting the succubus blood, her sensitivity to elemental spirits had spiked instantly.
Back then, there was a sense of joy, as if everything was within her grasp.
However, the buff seemed to be temporary. Now, she had been knocked back to her original state.
Even though the level of her original form could already be considered that of a genius, after having experienced that sensation, it was difficult for her to be satisfied with the status quo.
"…Yes, that is the nature of humans."
Su Cheng suddenly heard a voice that felt like a hallucination.
Blood throbbed at her temples.
A deep tremor climbed up her spine, like a steel hammer striking bone, causing a searing pain to flare up at the nape of her neck.
Her consciousness seemed to blur.
"You have begun to familiarize yourself with the rules of the game," the voice said. "Do you want to truly experience that feeling?"
"What?" she murmured in a daze. "What do you mean?"
"As long as you are willing," the voice continued, "your level of elemental resonance will take a step further. Those elemental spirits will never again vanish from your sensory world. Is this what you desire?"
Su Cheng froze for a moment, then understood what the other party meant.
Her already heavy head became even more muddled by a surge of ecstasy.
"…Really? I am willing!"
She heard laughter.
It was a smooth, rich baritone, carrying a hint of amusement. "Then the deal is struck."
The voice was so close, it felt as if someone were whispering directly against the curve of her ear.
Stupefied, she turned her head and saw floating, dark-golden light.
Within that hazy, shimmering play of light and shadow, the figure of a tall man appeared. His features were exceptionally handsome, and his expression appeared quite gentle.
His hair was a deep, rich black, while his skin was a honey-brown, gleaming like polished bronze.
His eyes were mismatched—one gold and one silver, like two shimmering coins. Intricate patterns radiated across the irises, and black triangular tattoos pierced through the eye sockets.
At first glance, the two eyeballs looked like weights placed on opposite sides of a scale.
"As the price, before sunset," the man smiled, tilting his head, "offer me one oath-breaker of exceptional talent."
Su Cheng snapped awake.
That face!
She had seen the manifestation of the God of Contracts before—it was this face!
Su Cheng paled in terror. "No, I didn't agree! The deal isn't struck!"
This was the God of Contracts!
Lin Yun had been warned several times by the old man in the bracelet: never lightly touch the primordial power represented by the gods themselves.
In other words, do not fight the God of War, do not do business with the God of Wealth, and do not make a deal with the God of Contracts.
The man blinked, revealing a gentle smile. "Oh, are you trying to go back on your word?"
"Your Highness!" Su Cheng was so nervous that sweat beaded on her forehead. "I—I didn't mean that, but normally, shouldn't the terms be fully explained before the deal is considered reached—"
The deity leaned down, drawing close to her.
His manifested form was towering, far exceeding the stature of an ordinary human; he was nearly twice her height.
His upper body was bare, his honey-colored flesh robust and full, with muscle lines carved as if by a knife and chisel. The rise and fall of his broad chest looked like gilded waves of grain.
A three-finger-wide chain of red gold looped diagonally across his chest and wrapped around his waist, its surface engraved with creatures resembling serpents or dragons.
Blood-red agates were set as their pupils, while emeralds and sapphires were inlaid as scales, scattered and multicolored like stars, appearing cold, elegant, and magnificent.
The man raised his arm, the muscles of his bicep coiling like knotted roots. The waist chain suddenly pulled taut, rubbing against the skin of his abdomen and producing a faint, wind-chime-like tinkling.
He pressed an upright forefinger against her lips, cutting off her next words.
The skin of his fingertip was scalding hot.
